Curbing plastics menace: CPCB stresses on verification of waste processors
The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) has recently emphasized the verification of waste processors as part of its efforts to combat plastic pollution. The CPCB issued directives to the chairman of all State Pollution Control Boards (SPCBs) and Pollution Control Committees (PCCs) under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986.
The directives focus on the physical verification of plastic waste processors (PWPs) registered on the centralised extended producer responsibility (EPR) portal for plastic packaging. According to the Plastic Waste Management Rules, 2016, and subsequent amendments in 2018, anyone involved in recycling or processing plastic waste must obtain registration or renewal of registration from the State Pollution Control Board or Pollution Control Committee.
To streamline the implementation of Extended Producer Responsibility for Plastic Packaging, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) has released comprehensive guidelines. These guidelines require various entities, including producers, importers, brand owners, and plastic waste processors, to register on the centralised portal developed by the CPCB. They also need to submit annual returns on plastic waste collected and processed, as well as details of registered recyclers and the amount of recycled content used for packaging.
However, the data available on the centralised EPR portal reveals that out of the 1,976 registered plastic waste processors in the country, only 1,272 have undergone physical verification by the SPCBs/PCCs. Furthermore, only 220 of the verified PWPs have started generating EPR certificates on the centralised portal.
Notably, Goa has received five applications from plastic waste processors, but only one has undergone physical verification, and none have received an EPR certificate.
In response to these findings, the CPCB has instructed the SPCBs/PCCs to conduct physical verification of all registered PWPs within their jurisdictions. This deadline will enable the PWPs to issue EPR certificates to Producers, Importers, and Brand-owners (PIBOs) and meet their EPR targets within the specified timeframe.
The CPCB has also directed the relevant authorities to follow up with the PWPs that have undergone physical verification to ensure that EPR certificates for sales made during the 2022-23 period are promptly generated.
To ensure compliance with these directives, the chairpersons of the SPCBs/PCCs are responsible for taking necessary action and submitting an action-taken report, indicating the completion of physical verification and the number of industries within their jurisdiction that have started generating EPR certificates.
